Tenn. Senate Weighs Stricter Abortion Laws

Tennessee lawmakers are moving closer to putting a constitutional amendment on a ballot so voters can decide on stricter abortion regulations, the Tennessean reported Monday.

The state Senate is taking up a constitutional amendment that would overturn a Tennessee Supreme Court ruling that has served as the foundation for abortion law in the state for more than a decade, the newspaper reported.

The amendment to the state’s governing document could lead to new rules on waiting periods and tighter reigns on when an abortion can be performed. It also could lead to an outright abortion ban, if the U.S. Supreme Court were to overturn Roe v. Wade.

"Getting on the ballot will be the first step of what will be a long, hotly contested battle," David Fowler, a former state senator who first proposed the amendment 10 years ago, told the newspaper.

The amendment has to pass the state Senate and the House by two-thirds majorities before it can go onto the 2014 ballot. The measure is expected to pass in both chambers.

Tennessee lawmakers are moving closer to putting a constitutional amendment on a ballot so voters can decide on stricter abortion regulations, the Tennessean reported Monday.
The state Senate is taking up a constitutional amendment that would overturn a Tennessee Supreme...